BY YOAV GONEN AND ROSA GOLDENSOHN. This story was first published on June 6, 2020 by THE CITY. Current and former employees of the de Blasio administration distressed over the mayor’s handling of largely peaceful protests against police brutality are shifting their complaints from pen to pavement. Hundreds are planning to rally in City Hall […]

BY YOAV GONEN AND ROSA GOLDENSOHN. This story was first published on June 6, 2020 by THE CITY.

Current and former employees of the de Blasio administration distressed over the mayor’s handling of largely peaceful protests against police brutality are shifting their complaints from pen to pavement.

Hundreds are planning to rally in City Hall Park at 9:30 a.m. on Monday — the same day the city’s reopening efforts begin following weeks of coronavirus-imposed restrictions — ramping up their prodding of Mayor Bill de Blasio to implement long-promised police reform efforts, according to sources involved.

“I think he’s been a lot of talk and a no-show, and that’s what we’re demanding: We need him to actually take action,” said one administration employee involved in the effort. “As city employees we have to hold our boss accountable.”

Organizers plan a march to Gracie Mansion, the city-owned, Upper East Side residence where de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray have lived since July 2014, the workers said.

Earlier this week, hundreds of former and current administration workers published an open letter outlining four police accountability and reform demands for de Blasio — including stripping $1 billion from the NYPD’s upcoming fiscal budget and diverting the money toward social service and employment efforts.

The letter, which was first reported by the New York Daily News, also requests greater accountability, discipline and transparency regarding cases of excessive force by police personnel — including during the past 10 days of protests. As of midday Saturday, nearly 1,000 current and former employees had signed on.

“It was sort of an organic follow-up to the letter, that other city employees realized we need to do our part — and for them it was doing this march,” said the administration employee.

Two Groups, One Mission

The open letter and march were organized by two different groups, but with a common purpose, the city employee added.

The employee said the four demands from the open letter stand, along with new requirements — including two-thirds votes by the City Council to approve future curfews and to OK police commissioners appointed by a mayor.

The group behind the rally is also joining a call for members of the Civilian Complaint Review Board to be elected rather than appointed.

Another employee in the mayor’s office who’s participating in the campaign said de Blasio’s repeated denials that police as a whole have been overly aggressive in breaking up largely peaceful protests has helped fuel the staff backlash.

“I feel as if I’m being gaslighted by my own boss when I personally experienced brutality at the hands of the NYPD at a protest last night — and then he went on [The] Brian Lehrer [Show] and he denied my own reality by saying that there has been no use of violence on peaceful protesters,” the worker told THE CITY on Friday.

“De Blasio ran on a platform of equity and police reform, and if we’re staying silent right now then we are just as complicit as he is.”

Multiple times in the last week the mayor has praised the “restraint” of the NYPD in dealing with nightly protests that were sparked by the May 25 death of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis police.

But he has largely failed to acknowledge newsreports and complaints — some documented with video evidence — that police suddenly detained protesters for violating an 8 p.m. curfew, in some cases with aggressive tactics that include baton strikes.

Promises, But No Details

De Blasio enacted the curfew, initially set at 11 p.m., June 1 following widespread incidents of looting and vandalism — primarily in Manhattan.

The mayor and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea have highlighted a number of attacks on police officers — including a lieutenant who was struck in the head with a brick during a Manhattan protest.

De Blasio committed over the past week to making the police discipline system faster and better. But when asked for details, he said, “I don’t have a specific outline to give you right now because we’re dealing with immediate issues.”

Protesters kneel along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn during protests against the police-involved killing of George Floyd, June 2, 2020. (Photo by Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY)

The lack of what critics see as significant progress on police accountability and transparency has rankled many one-time supporters of de Blasio, who ran a progressive campaign in 2013 promising to end New York’s “tale of two cities.”

For his part, the mayor has pointed to the reduction in the use of the stop-and-frisk tactic against black and brown communities, the training of officers on de-escalation and how to recognize inherent bias, and a move toward neighborhood policing as signs he’s kept his commitments.

Late Friday, the administration announced the suspension of two NYPD officers — one for allegedly shoving a protester to the pavement on the back of her head, and another for allegedly pulling down the facemask of a protester and squirting him with pepper spray.

‘We Are Here for You’

Early Saturday, de Blasio sent a letter to City Hall staff members thanking them for their work during the past three months of constant crisis — including the coronavirus outbreak — and committing to making the city “fairer and more just for communities of color.”

“We have 19 months left together as a team,” the mayor wrote, according to an email obtained by THE CITY. “And I promise to use every second of that time to fight for something better, to fighting to dismantle structural racism,” he added.

“To every person of color on this team in particular, I want you to know that Chirlane and I see what you are going through and feel how deeply this moment hurts. We are here for you. We will never stop fighting for you. Black Lives Matter in New York City.”

City Hall officials didn’t immediately respond to questions about what sparked the mayor’s letter or for comment on the planned rally.

This story was originally published on June 6, 2020 by THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.

A Brooklyn man who knifed a cop in the neck and shot two others during a wild incident earlier this week was formally charged Saturday. Police said Dzenan Camovic, 20, of East 22nd Street in Flatbush was booked on June 6 for attempted murder of a police officer, robbery, assault of a police officer, criminal […]

Police said Dzenan Camovic, 20, of East 22nd Street in Flatbush was booked on June 6 for attempted murder of a police officer, robbery, assault of a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

Law enforcement sources said Camovic allegedly approached two officers on anti-looting patrol in the area of Church and Flatbush Avenues at 11:45 p.m. on June 3. Without any notice, cops reported, Camovic stabbed one officer in the neck.

That led to a struggle with other police officers in which the suspect allegedly grabbed one of the cops guns and began firing at them, hitting them in the hand. Camovic was shot multiple times by additional officers who came upon the scene.

All three officers were treated at Kings County Hospital and are recovering.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea had described the attack as “cowardly, despicable, unprovoked attack on a defenseless police officer.”

The FBI launched an investigation into whether this was a possible terrorist act, and raided the suspect’s home on June 4 as part of the inquiry.

The NYPD holds the authority over issuing press credentials that reporters need to cover everything from breaking news, protests and parades in New York City. But officers on duty during the George Floyd protests have reportedly used such authority against reporters out in the field covering them, verbally threatening and even arresting journalists reporting on […]

The NYPD holds the authority over issuing press credentials that reporters need to cover everything from breaking news, protests and parades in New York City.

But officers on duty during the George Floyd protests have reportedly used such authority against reporters out in the field covering them, verbally threatening and even arresting journalists reporting on the protests after curfew — regardless of whether they have a valid pass.

Because of these reports, City Comptroller Scott Stringer wrote to Mayor Bill de Blasio Saturday urging him to relieve the NYPD of its duties to issue press credentials. The Mayor’s office, Stringer argued, would be better suited in bearing that responsibility and ensuring that all journalists in New York City are able to do their job free of intimidation.

The comptroller’s letter comes amid reports that the NYPD has suspended the issuance of new press cards to all applicants during the protests. De Blasio announced later on Saturday that the NYPD will resume processing press credential applications.

In NYC, press credentials are issued by the NYPD (I know), and they just told me they have suspended new applications for credentials "until further notice." pic.twitter.com/KieDQyctcy

“I am concerned that after days of mass protests over the killing of George Floyd – protests that the NYPD have repeatedly used to beat and jail peaceful demonstrators – the department has decided that it is summarily shutting down the issuance of new press credentials to all applicants,” Stringer wrote. “The move serves to underscore once again why the NYPD is exactly the wrong agency to be endowed with the critical task of safeguarding our rights as New Yorkers and Americans to a free and unfettered press corps.”

Stringer told de Blasio that he believes the NYPD’s press credential responsibility has been “long held but never aptly warranted.” The requirements that allow the NYPD to issue the credentials, he argued, reflect a “very narrow and outdated view of who deserves to be issued a credential.”

The application for an NYPD press card is stringent, and to some observers, it resembles a catch-22.

To qualify for the credential, applicants must submit six stories focused on “emergency, spot or breaking news events and/or public events of a non-emergency nature, where police, fire lines or other restrictions, limitations, or barriers established by the City of New York have been set up for security or crowd control purposes, within the City of New York; or events sponsored by the City of New York which are open to members of the press.”

But in many circumstances, especially breaking news events, reporters or photographers without credentials won’t be allowed access beyond a police or fire line.

The back of an NYPD press credential outlines the conditions by which a reporter must abide. While it entitles the bearer to, “subject to safety and evidence preservation concerns, cross police, fire lines or other restrictions, limitations or barriers established by the City of New York at emergency, spot or breaking news and public events,” it also notes that the card “may be taken away by competent authority at any time.”

“I question the utility of a press pass if it can be stripped without cause by any ‘competent authority,’ up to and including any member of the NYPD who may object in the moment to a reporter doing his or her job,” Stringer wrote. “At a time when your Administration has gone out of its way to classify reporters ‘essential’ workers who deserve to cover recent events in an unfettered manner, such overbearing language is offensive to the concept of a free press and the values upon which this city is founded.”

The threat of credential revocation has come up frequently among reporters covering the George Floyd protests this week after the 8 p.m. curfew, including for two reporters at amNewYork Metro. The executive order that de Blasio signed to establish the curfew exempted from it members of the media with valid NYPD credentials.

In one instance, a senior NYPD officer, using profane language, threatened to take reporter Ben Verde’s press pass while he was covering arrests during a protest in Williamsburg on June 4.

White shirt office tells me “we gave you a chance to leave.” I inform him curfew doesn’t apply to me, he charges me and says “you got a problem? I’ll take your fucking press pass.”

The night before, June 3, a cop walked up to reporter Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech as she covered a Brooklyn protest. The reporter tapped on her camera with his baton and asked while she was still there.

Both Verde and O’Connell-Domenech have valid NYPD credentials.

Other reporters out covering the protests this past week reported similar intimidation, detainment, and even assault.

Jessica Finn works for E! News.

THREAD: We were “detained” by the #NYPD last night for 4 hours. My bf & I watched a group of peaceful protesters coming down 3rd Ave just before 9pm from inside our apt. The #NYPD was following along on bikes & walking with batons on the side of the group. It quickly turned ugly pic.twitter.com/V02EmV4soe

Lost my glasses and my ankle is in searing pain after NYPD hit me in the face multiple times with riot shields and pushed me to the ground. I was backing away as request, with my hands up. My NYPD-issued press badge was clearly visible. I’m just sitting here crying. This sucks.

The incidents happened despite de Blasio’s executive order recognizing reporters as “essential workers” able to do their job after the 8 p.m. curfew. This was supported by a tweet from Dani Lever, communications director for Governor Andrew Cuomo, who jointly announced the curfew with the mayor Monday.

To all the reporters out there who continue to inform the public everyday: The news media is exempt from tonight's curfew, as you are essential.

On June 5, de Blasio reaffirmed the reporter exemption in a tweet, stating that journalists “are essential workers, too.” He pledged that he would “get NYPD to fix this immediately.”

Same goes for journalists covering protests and out doing their jobs. They are essential workers, too. We WILL protect their rights. The public depends on the information they provide. Will get NYPD to fix this immediately.

Stringer urged de Blasio to immediately shift press credential duties from the NYPD to the Office of the Mayor. He also called for new standards for press card qualification “that better speak to the diversity of reportage that so many journalists bring to their work in this day and age, whether online, in print, or over the airwaves.”

He also noted in his letter to de Blasio that reporters working for all kinds of media outlets, large and small, have been subject to the same treatment. He noted that, in an era where newsrooms are much smaller than they used to be, reporters cover multiple beats and subjects, and they may not meet the NYPD’s stringent press card qualifications.

“At the end of the day, what’s important is protecting the ability of reporters to do their jobs in a free and unfettered manner, and to make sure that the diversity of opinion that is so central to New York City’s broader culture is reflected in its accredited press corps,” Stringer added.

]]>https://www.amny.com/news/nypd-should-be-relieved-of-press-credential-duties-stringer-tells-de-blasio/feed/0LIVE UPDATES: Curfew back in effect in New York City as protests wind down for dayhttps://www.amny.com/brooklyn/live-updates-protests-continue-across-new-york-city-seeking-justice-for-victims-of-racial-injustice/
https://www.amny.com/brooklyn/live-updates-protests-continue-across-new-york-city-seeking-justice-for-victims-of-racial-injustice/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 18:00:50 +0000https://www.amny.com/?p=137503813

From Harlem to Brooklyn, Midtown to Queens and every direction in between, tens of thousands of New Yorkers spent Saturday peacefully marching in search of an end to police brutality and racial injustice following the May 25 police-involved murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd. Marchers sang, chanted and paraded in peace at numerous demonstrations across […]

From Harlem to Brooklyn, Midtown to Queens and every direction in between, tens of thousands of New Yorkers spent Saturday peacefully marching in search of an end to police brutality and racial injustice following the May 25 police-involved murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd.

Marchers sang, chanted and paraded in peace at numerous demonstrations across the boroughs. There were no reports of major incidents or disturbances as of 8 p.m., when the curfew went into effect.

Another protest on the steps of the Queens County Criminal Court House had marchers singing “Happy Birthday” to Breonna Taylor, a victim of police brutality in Kentucky, who would’ve turned 27 on June 5.

Demonstrators gather to protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, at the Grand Army Plaza, in Brooklyn, on June 6, 2020. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)

Police scanners estimate about 3500 protestors just arrived at Barclays from Grand Army Plaza. Thanks to the anonymous source consistently sending us aerials of these crowds! pic.twitter.com/mU7CQQPp3x

Demonstrators hold placards at the Brooklyn Bridge during a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Brooklyn on June 6, 2020. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)Demonstrators take a knee outside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 6, 2020 during a protest against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)

The throng of marchers would stop at Cadman Plaza, then head over the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan for a rally outside Foley Square.

As they headed toward the Brooklyn Bridge, the NYPD blocked off their access to the roadway. The marchers had to then squeeze onto the pedestrian portion of the bridge, significantly slowing their walk.

A large group of marchers files slowly across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan on June 6. NYPD barricades kept marchers confined to the pedestrian path over the bridge, slowing their movements considerably.

And now the crowd erupts in cheers. Tonight’s protest ended without any scuffles with officers so far. Organizers are really trying to encourage people to go home warming people not to linger. Besides, they’ll be back tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/d3f9Jd7j80

BY MEAGHAN MCGOLDRICK AND ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH Protesters came together in Downtown Brooklyn on Friday to remember Breonna Taylor, the young black woman fatally shot by Louisville police officers in early March, on what would have been her 27th birthday. Taylor, an EMT, was shot eight times by Louisville cops who wrongly believed there were illegal […]

Protesters came together in Downtown Brooklyn on Friday to remember Breonna Taylor, the young black woman fatally shot by Louisville police officers in early March, on what would have been her 27th birthday.

Taylor, an EMT, was shot eight times by Louisville cops who wrongly believed there were illegal drugs in her apartment. Thousands of protesters descended upon the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Branch near Grand Army Plaza on Friday afternoon for a march in her honor.

On the eighth straight day of protests in Brooklyn, and the ninth citywide, activists marched across Atlantic Avenue from Grand Army Plaza to Brooklyn Borough Hall on what would have been Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday.
(Photo by Paul Frangipane)

The demonstration came on the ninth straight day of protests citywide in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and to decry the recent police killings of a number of black people across the country. The New York City demonstrations mirror those happening around the globe, which began almost immediately after the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer on May 25.

A woman yells back at chants of “I Can’t Breathe,” on Atlantic Avenue.
(Photo by Paul Frangipane)

Friday’s crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Taylor, as motorists driving by honked in support. A moment of silence was followed by a march to Brooklyn Borough Hall, where they sang “Happy Birthday” a few more times and danced in the streets.

Activists gathered on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall after marching from Grand Army Plaza.
(Photo by Paul Frangipane)

The peaceful showing was one of many in Brooklyn on Friday — including a mass Muslim prayer at the Barclays Center. Those who participated in the prayer then marched towards Grand Army Plaza, where they joined the group commemorating Taylor, and the group of protesters carried on together.

After a prayer at the Barclays Center, local activists march up Flatbush Avenue.
(Photo by Paul Frangipane)Activists dance in the middle of Atlantic Avenue singing “Happy Birthday” to Breonna Taylor.
(Photo by Paul Frangipane)

As in nights before, the day of peaceful protests was capped by aggressive arrests by police enforcing Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 8 p.m. curfew. Authorities said on Saturday that approximately 40 people were arrested citywide the previous night — down significantly from a reported 270 on Thursday.

But, those 40 included at least a few essential workers, according to reporters on the scene. At about 12:30 am on Saturday near Nostrand Avenue and Montgomery Street in Crown Heights, at least one woman wearing scrubs was seen being taken away by police in zip ties as another woman in scrubs pleaded for her — and other protesters’ — release.

The blonde woman to the right escaped being arrested at Nostrand and Montgomery tonight. She’s dressed in scrubs and said she was an essential worker. Another woman also in scrubs who was taking part in the protest was not so lucky. pic.twitter.com/LXsaXqjcKy

BY MIKE SPECTOR AND JESSICA DINAPOLI Private equity firm Sycamore Partners is in preliminary talks to acquire J.C. Penney Co Inc. out of bankruptcy should the U.S. department store chain’s negotiations with its creditors fail, three people familiar with the matter said on Friday. J.C. Penney, which employs roughly 85,000 people, filed for bankruptcy protection […]

Private equity firm Sycamore Partners is in preliminary talks to acquire J.C. Penney Co Inc. out of bankruptcy should the U.S. department store chain’s negotiations with its creditors fail, three people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

J.C. Penney, which employs roughly 85,000 people, filed for bankruptcy protection in May after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to temporarily close its more than 800 stores across the United States, compounding financial woes that stemmed from years of dwindling sales.

Sycamore is weighing acquiring J.C. Penney outright or making an investment in the troubled retailer, the sources said.

There is no certainty that the talks between Sycamore and J.C. Penney will result in a deal, which would require a bankruptcy judge’s approval, the sources said.

J.C. Penney is also in touch with some of its landlords, including Brookfield Asset Management Inc. and Simon Property Group, about possible transactions, the sources said. Under one scenario being explored, Sycamore, Brookfield and Simon would join forces on a bid for J.C. Penney, two of the sources said. Wells Fargo & Co. is also involved in the discussions, one of the sources said.

J.C. Penney shares surged 47% after Reuters reported on the talks, ending the day up 55% to close at 32 cents.

The sources requested anonymity because the discussions are confidential. Sycamore and J.C. Penney declined to comment. Brookfield had no immediate comment while Simon and Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

J.C. Penney is in discussions about handing over control to its lenders in exchange for reducing its nearly $5 billion of debt. This hinges on a slew of investment firms that hold the company’s senior debt and have provided the company’s bankruptcy financing agreeing to J.C. Penney’s business plan by July 14.

If the Plano, Texas-based company does not persuade enough lenders to approve its plan by the following day, July 15, the terms of its bankruptcy loan require J.C. Penney to abandon its reorganization efforts and pursue a sale.

It is unclear how much Sycamore is willing to pay for J.C. Penney, which is in the process of permanently closing stores and cutting jobs.

Sycamore, a New York private equity firm that specializes in retail and consumer investments, has in the past taken control of high-profile businesses such as office supplies chain Staples, women’s clothing retailer Talbots and department-store operator Belk.

Last month, Sycamore walked away from a $525 million deal to buy a majority stake in L Brands Inc.’s Victoria’s Secret, as the pandemic hammered sales at the lingerie chain.

Brookfield and Simon operate malls across the United States. Brookfield in May said it would devote $5 billion to non-controlling investments designed to revitalize retailers struggling in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

During a court hearing on Thursday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones approved fresh financing from senior lenders to aid J.C. Penney’s operations while it navigates Chapter 11 protection, and expressed concern the 118-year old chain needed to restructure quickly to survive.

In July, the lenders will “decide whether the dream lives or the dream dies,” said Cathy Hershcopf, a creditors’ lawyer, during the hearing.

David Kurtz, a Lazard Ltd. banker representing J.C. Penney, said during the hearing that “four major institutions” had signed confidentiality agreements to discuss working with the company and its lenders on the retailer’s restructuring. He did not name them.

Sycamore, Brookfield, Simon and Wells Fargo are the four unnamed parties, one of the sources said.

Under a plan being discussed with its creditors, J.C. Penney would be split into two companies. One would be a real estate investment trust that would hold some of the company’s property and lease it back to J.C. Penney. The other would operate J.C. Penney’s retail business.

Joshua Sussberg, a Kirkland & Ellis LLP lawyer representing J.C. Penney, said during Thursday’s court hearing that the company needed to persuade lenders negotiating to take control of the restructured business to keep it alive and that he planned to hold them accountable for how the case ended.

Even in less-fraught times, many retailers, including Barneys New York Inc and Toys ‘R’ Us, have failed to reorganize under bankruptcy protection and gone out of business for good.

J.C. Penney on Thursday said it plans to permanently close 154 stores, and may shut more. It has so far reopened nearly 500 stores that were closed due to the pandemic, and plans to bring additional locations online in coming weeks. Still, concerns remain that customers might be slow to return amid health concerns and job losses not seen since the Great Depression.

J.C. Penney is also seeking permission from landlords to skip rent payments for June, July and August, Sussberg said last week.

BY ARRIANA MCLYMORE For 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the length of time it took George Floyd, an unarmed black man, to die at the hands of Minneapolis police — cable TV kids channel Nickelodeon’s screen went black on Tuesday to sounds of inhaling and exhaling, as white text flashed “I can’t breathe.” Pokemon […]

For 8 minutes and 46 seconds — the length of time it took George Floyd, an unarmed black man, to die at the hands of Minneapolis police — cable TV kids channel Nickelodeon’s screen went black on Tuesday to sounds of inhaling and exhaling, as white text flashed “I can’t breathe.”

Pokemon pledged $100,000 in support for Black Lives Matter. Sesame Street cohosted a televised town hall meeting with CNN on Saturday morning.

These are just a few of the examples of how companies that entertain or sell products for kids are adjusting their messages, as they attempt to deal with this moment in American history and explain the complexities of racism and police brutality to children through action and words.

“It’s one thing to try to preserve the innocence of children, but you shouldn’t preserve the ignorance of children in a country that is multiracial that has this bad history,” CNN commentator Van Jones told Reuters in an interview on Friday.

Jones and CNN anchor Erica Hill hosted an hour-long special on CNN titled “Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism” in partnership with Sesame Street. The show aimed to teach school-aged children how to identify inequality and speak out against it.

CNN is owned by telecommunications company AT&T Inc, whose chief executive, Randall Stephenson, urged other CEOs in a CNBC interview to speak out against racial inequality.

Experts said parents need help interpreting for children the relentless barrage of messages on social media and on television as peaceful protesters and looters clash with authorities all across the country.

“I have seen a spike in anxiety for my black kid clients because they are having access to the news,” said Javonte’ Bass, a clinical mental health counselor. “When the parents are watching, they’re listening.”

Fear of catching the coronavirus forced families indoors. Fear of dying at the hands of police are keeping kids from going back out, Bass said. One nine-year-old black child even asked Bass, “Am I going to get shot, too?”

On CNN’s event, Jones said viewers should not expect a historical rundown of slavery and colonialism in the United States. The show will urge parents to teach their children empathy. “Failing to teach kids about empathy and fairness is always harmful,” Jones said.

That applies to views of law enforcement as well, Jones and Bass emphasized. “Police officers are not saints or superheroes. They’re human beings,” Jones said. “Some are good. Most are good, but some are bad.”

Education is a theme among the responses from brands for children.

“Our mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow and that includes inspiring them to be tolerant, inclusive, and kind,” toy company The Lego Group said in a statement.

In addition to pausing advertising for a week to avoid marketing any of its toys, including police-themed toys, next to images of police violence, the company is committing $4 million to organizations that teach children about racial inequality.

Lego has also encouraged fans to come up with new ideas for inclusive toy sets on its platform Lego Ideas.

One of its previous sets, The Women of NASA, which featured astronaut Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, was inspired by a submission to Lego Ideas.

Nearly two dozen looters who helped themselves to more than $750,000 in furs from a Chelsea store during protests this week remain at large, police reported. The NYPD released video Friday of the suspects wanted for plundering Madison Avenue Furs, located at 118 West 27th St., at 11:20 p.m. on June 1. The break-in occurred […]

Anyone with information regarding the suspects’ whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit information online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

]]>https://www.amny.com/manhattan/looters-sought-for-stealing-750000-in-merchandise-from-chelsea-furrier/feed/0Washington prepares for major protest as U.S. officials move to rein in policehttps://www.amny.com/nation/washington-prepares-for-major-protest-as-u-s-officials-move-to-rein-in-police/
https://www.amny.com/nation/washington-prepares-for-major-protest-as-u-s-officials-move-to-rein-in-police/#respondSat, 06 Jun 2020 14:15:53 +0000https://www.amny.com/?p=137503785

BY LISA LAMBERT AND ALEXANDRA ALPER Protesters are expected to gather in Washington for a huge demonstration on Saturday, its police chief said, as U.S. street marches over the killing of a black man in custody enter a 12th day and authorities move to rein in policing tactics. George Floyd, 46, died on May 25 […]

Protesters are expected to gather in Washington for a huge demonstration on Saturday, its police chief said, as U.S. street marches over the killing of a black man in custody enter a 12th day and authorities move to rein in policing tactics.

George Floyd, 46, died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer pinned him to the ground with a knee to the neck for nearly nine minutes. The killing has sparked days of protests across the United States against racism and police brutality, and also demonstrations around the world.

Some activists on social media have called for a million people to attend a protest in the capital.

“We have a lot of public, open source information to suggest that the event on this upcoming Saturday may be one of the largest we’ve ever had in the city,” Washington DC Police Chief Peter Newsham told local media, adding that much of the city center would be closed to traffic from early in the day.

Newsham did not give a crowd estimate. Local media has predicted tens of thousands of attendees.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has ordered that all flags at state facilities be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday in honor of Floyd, who was originally from the state’s Fayetteville city. A televised memorial service will also be held in the city.

On Friday, marches and gatherings took place in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Miami, New York and Denver, among other places, while protesters massed again, in the rain, in front of the White House. The night-time protests were largely peaceful but tension remains high even as authorities in several places take steps to reform police procedures.

A federal judge in Denver ordered city police to stop using tear gas, plastic bullets and other “less-than-lethal” devices such as flash grenades, with his ruling citing examples of protesters and journalists being injured by police.

“These are peaceful demonstrators, journalists, and medics who have been targeted with extreme tactics meant to suppress riots, not to suppress demonstrations,” U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson wrote in the ruling.

In Minneapolis, Democratic city leaders voted to end the use of knee restraints and choke-holds, where pressure is applied to the neck, while California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would end state police training of carotid restraints similar to the technique used on Floyd.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo said his state should lead the way in passing “Say Their Name” reforms, including making police disciplinary records publicly available as well as banning choke-holds.

Protesters around the world are also expected to take to the streets again on Saturday, a day after many marched in a wave of outrage at the death of Floyd and racism against minorities in their own nations.

Defunding in L.A., Buffalo cops suspended

Black Lives Matter activists have called for cities to defund police departments. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat who in April proposed increasing law enforcement funding, this week reversed course and said he would seek some $150 million in cuts to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Two police officers in Buffalo, New York, were suspended without pay on Thursday and placed under investigation after a video showed them shoving a 75-year-old man to the ground.

But the decision was met with pushback from the officers’ colleagues, with all 57 members of the police tactical unit quitting in protest at their treatment.

The demonstrations have erupted as the public and businesses struggle to recover from sweeping lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Disease experts have said the protests could spark new outbreaks.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has sparred with U.S. President Donald Trump over his sometimes heavy-handed response to the rallies and marches in the nation’s capital, had the slogan “Black Lives Matter” painted in massive yellow letters on a street leading to the White House.

After nightfall, Bowser had light projections spelling out the words beamed onto nearby buildings, which she said on Twitter was a “night light” aimed at Trump.

BY AMY TENNERY National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league made mistakes in not listening to players, in a video on Friday denouncing racism in the United States amid widespread protests over police brutality against black people. “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players […]

National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league made mistakes in not listening to players, in a video on Friday denouncing racism in the United States amid widespread protests over police brutality against black people.

“We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest,” said Goodell. “We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter.”

The NFL has been locked in an ongoing debate with players over kneeling protests during the customary pre-game playing of the national anthem. The practice was popularized by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is black, in 2016 to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

Kaepernick, who in 2013 led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl but lost to the Baltimore Ravens, filed a grievance against the league in 2017, claiming collusion as no teams signed him after he parted ways with the Niners. The NFL and Kaepernick settled in 2019.

“Protests around the country are emblematic of the centuries of silence, inequality and oppression of black players, coaches, fans and staff,” said Goodell. “I will be reaching out to players who have raised their voices and others on how we can improve.”

The NFL sent the video out just hours after President Donald Trump renewed his call for an end to kneeling protests during the national anthem.

“We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag – NO KNEELING!”

The statement was a response to quarterback Drew Brees, who apologized this week for equating the kneeling protest with disrespecting the American flag.

On Thursday, several players, including reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, appeared in a video on social media calling for the league to “admit wrong in silencing” players and to support protests.

“How many times do we need to ask you to listen to your players?” Chiefs player Tyrann Mathieu said in the video.

The league also faced criticism earlier this year when just one of five head-coaching vacancies went to a non-white candidate in the most recent hiring cycle, and last month the NFL introduced rules designed to boost racial diversity among coaching staffs.